{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"451 Building a Culture of Innovation and Customer Service with Frank Lecrone","description":" What happens when you build a company around one niche, listen obsessively to customers, and never stop improving? In this episode, host Trace Blackmore finally sits down for a full-length conversation with Frank Lecrone, Founder, President, and CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific. What started in a small 60' x 60' space in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with three employees, maxed-out credit cards, and endless Staples runs has grown into a 300+-person organization serving industrial water professionals around the world.   Frank shares how AquaPhoenix became \u201cthe booth everyone wants to be next to\u201d at AWT, why they built their entire business around industrial water treatment instead of trying to be everything to everyone, and how a simple continuous improvement system now generates hundreds of ideas a year from frontline team members. He also pulls back the curtain on acquisitions and private equity, explaining EBITDA in plain language, how to think about \u201cadd-backs,\u201d and what owners should understand long before they think about selling. Whether you\u2019re leading a growing company, running a route, or thinking about your own \u201csecond chapter,\u201d this conversation is a masterclass in culture, courage, and caring deeply about the people you serve. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!    Timestamps   02:20 - Trace Blackmore shares a recap from the recent 2025 AWT Conference, The Hang, and a Blood Donation Story   14:02 - Water You Know with James McDonald  15:20 - Upcoming Conference for Water Professionals  18:16 \u2013 Introduction of Frank Lecrone, CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific (eight years in the making)  24:52 \u2013 Why Hanover?   26:59 \u2013 Supporting AWT  37:38 \u2013 Color-coded caps & QR Codes  42:30 \u2013 Learning from mistakes  45:31 \u2013 Core Values   48:26 \u2013 Acquisitions and Culture   1:03:32 \u2013 Valuations and EBITDA    Quotes  \u201cWe didn\u2019t grow by doing everything for everyone. We grew by doing exactly what one market needed and wanted\u2014and then doing it better every year.\u201d  \u201cThe lack of information is almost always interpreted negatively. That\u2019s why you have to over-communicate, especially during acquisitions.\u201d  \u201cEBITDA equals freedom. The more EBITDA you have, the less anybody can tell you what to do with your own company.\u201d  \u201cWe\u2019re not perfect. We screw things up like everyone else\u2014but we fix it, and we fix it quickly, and we make doing business with us as easy as possible.\u201d  \u201cI don\u2019t want to be the smartest person in the room. I want great people around me, giving ideas and pushing things forward, so I\u2019m not the bottleneck.\u201d  \u201cBusiness is like standing in a bathtub while the water rises. It feels fine until it reaches your mouth. The trick is noticing when it\u2019s at your knees and fixing the bottleneck then.\u201d  \u201cWe give a darn. We have \u2018GAS\u2019\u2014Give a #$%@\u2014and if we can make it right and do it better, we absolutely will.\u201d    Connect with Frank Lecrone Email: frank@aquaphoenixsci.com   Website: Water Quality Testing Products | AquaPhoenix Scientific  LinkedIn:  Frank Lecrone | LinkedIn       Guest Resources Mentioned   AquaPhoenix Scientific   Aliquot \u2013 AquaPhoenix\u2019s Water Management Software  QR-coded Custom Test Kits (AquaPhoenix EndPoint\u00ae ID)    Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned  AWT (Association of Water Technologies)  Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses  Submit a Show Idea  The Rising Tide Mastermind  American Red Cross    Water You Know with James McDonald  Question: What industrial water treatment word is derived from the Greek word meaning "claw?"    2025 Events for Water Professionals  Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we\u2019ve listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.    ","author_name":"Scaling UP! H2O","author_url":"http:\/\/scalinguph2o.com","html":"